We are thinking of translating the American law completely, then they will no longer say that it is Russian law - if they still say it, then it turns out that there is Russian legislation in America, so what they have against us? - Guram Macharashvili, a member of the parliamentary majority, told journalists while commenting on the project on "agents of foreign influence".
Macharashvili says that by copying the American project, "the process will be more complicated and burdensome" than with their proposed bill.
"We are glad that this initiative of People's Power was very quickly taken up by the European Union and a similar issue was initiated there as well. We, People's Power, will have many good initiatives even after this, and if the European Parliament follows us in this, it will be very good. As for the fact that our project caused controversy, as they said in the European Parliament that they want to "copy" the American law and initiate it in this way, we also think that we can copy the American law, although the process will be more complicated and burdensome than in the case of our proposed project. We have the opportunity to change a number of points at the committee, because the softening of the American law caused the opposite reaction, and it was said that softening makes it Russian law. We think, for it not to need to be sent to Venice, why don't we do it so that we directly translate the American law completely. Then they will no longer say that this is Russian law, and if they still say it, then it turns out that there is Russian legislation in America, so what do they have against us?" - said Macharashvili.
For information, according to the spokesman of the US State Department, Ned Price, the draft law on non-governmental and media organizations, which involves the creation of a "register of agents of foreign influence", could potentially undermine Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration. According to Ned Price, "this draft legislation appears to be based on similar Russian and Hungarian legislation, not on FARA or any other American legislation".